Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a month had gone by.
Even with the support of the Nightfall Pirates, Wano Country still had countless preparations to make. Mobilizing the entire nation and assembling an expeditionary force on such a scale was unprecedented in Wano's history.
At the same time, once Kozuki Oden led the campaign overseas, a significant portion of Wano Country's military strength would inevitably leave with him, weakening domestic defenses.
A sufficiently powerful garrison had to remain behind.
Even with Wano Country's natural geographic advantages, there were many forces coveting its wealth and resources. The moment Wano entered a large-scale war with the Beasts Pirates, those lurking predators would see an opportunity they could not easily ignore.
Especially now that the world knew Wano Country possessed a Road Poneglyph.
Wano Country's slow mobilization gave the Beasts Pirates ample time to prepare.
More than enough time.
By the time Wano's fleet finally set sail, the Beasts Pirates had already transformed the buffer zone into a defensive line that was extraordinarily difficult to break.
From a military standpoint, speed was often the key to victory.
On that point alone, Wano Country had already fallen behind, and many observers throughout the New World could see it clearly.
Both commanders had already appeared on the battlefield.
Kaido of the Beasts was stationed on an island within the buffer zone, while intelligence reports confirmed that Wano Country's Shogun, Kozuki Oden, had likewise arrived in the area.
The decisive battle was about to begin.
If Wano Country wanted to reclaim the Road Poneglyph, there was only one path forward:
Defeat the Beasts Pirates.
The Barbarossa Kingdom, headquarters of the Beasts Pirates, stood deep within enemy territory and had been fortified into an impregnable stronghold.
Furthermore, nobody knew where the Road Poneglyph had been hidden.
Attempting to infiltrate enemy territory and steal it back was little more than a fantasy.
The only option remaining was open war.
The buffer zone stretched across dozens of islands in a long chain between the territories of the Nightfall Pirates and the Beasts Pirates.
The distance separating the two great powers was actually much shorter than most people imagined.
As a result, the entire region became the center of worldwide attention.
The Beasts Pirates' steel fortresses loomed across the islands like giant war machines.
Rows upon rows of massive cannons pointed toward the sea.
Just looking at them was enough to make one's heart tremble.
Many people were shocked to discover how far the Beasts Pirates' military technology had advanced.
Backed by an entire kingdom, they possessed vast weapon factories, enormous stockpiles, and production capabilities that surpassed most pirate crews in the New World.
Another unique feature of the Beasts Pirates was their army of tamed beasts.
There were all kinds of creatures.
Some were ordinary animals.
Others were exotic species that many people had never seen before.
Thanks to the beast-taming traditions of the Barbarossa Kingdom, enhanced and refined over generations, these creatures had become an integral part of the Beasts Pirates' military power.
Virtually every member of the crew possessed their own beast companion.
Even Kaido was no exception.
He often lounged beside a gigantic lion beast he had personally raised.
On the opposite side, fleets bearing Wano Country's distinctive designs sailed steadily forward.
Behind them, the Nightfall Pirates continuously transported supplies to rear staging islands.
This would begin as a naval war.
Until Wano Country broke through the Beasts Pirates' defenses and established a foothold on land, combat would remain centered on the sea.
Unfortunately for Wano Country, naval warfare was something its samurai had little experience with.
Their strength was unquestionable.
Their physiques were exceptional.
Yet despite that, many samurai experienced severe discomfort during the voyage.
Some became seasick.
Others struggled to adapt to the constant movement of the waves.
Fortunately, no major illnesses broke out.
Diseases at sea could be terrifying.
If not treated promptly, even powerful warriors could lose their lives.
This was something Oden had not fully considered beforehand.
As a result, the army was forced to rest for two additional days before officially launching the campaign.
Despite these difficulties, the force Wano Country assembled was formidable.
Ten thousand samurai marched under Oden's banner.
Among them were many of Wano's strongest warriors.
Soon, the two armies came into view of one another.
Kaido measured the distance between the fleets.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
Then he raised one hand and swung it forward like a battlefield commander issuing judgment.
"Fire."
"Let these samurai be buried in the sea!"
The next moment, the sky erupted with artillery fire.
The power of the Beasts Pirates' cannons exceeded all expectations.
Their range.
Their velocity.
Their destructive force.
All of it rivaled, and in some cases surpassed, the main guns mounted on Marine warships.
One of Wano Country's ships exploded almost instantly.
Flames engulfed the vessel.
A single shell blasted away nearly half its structure.
The remaining portion continued burning before slowly sinking beneath the waves.
The spectacle was shocking.
This technology had once belonged to a powerful New World kingdom that had defended itself against countless pirate attacks.
Now that technology belonged to the Beasts Pirates.
Not only had they mastered it, but they had improved it.
Although accuracy remained imperfect, there were always unfortunate ships caught in the barrage.
The ocean itself churned beneath the relentless bombardment.
Massive waves rolled outward as ships pitched violently from side to side.
Many samurai struggled just to keep their footing.
The war had begun badly.
From the very first moment, Wano Country found itself under devastating suppression.
The extraordinary range of the Beasts Pirates' artillery transformed the advancing fleet into little more than moving targets.
Many samurai had witnessed pirate wars through reports and visual records before.
Experiencing such warfare firsthand, however, allowed them to truly understand the difference between land and sea.
Of course, the samurai of Wano Country would not simply wait for death.
As the bombardment intensified, warriors throughout the fleet drew their swords.
One after another, slashes streaked into the sky.
The sight was magnificent.
Each samurai was an accomplished swordsman.
Acting together, they intercepted the incoming shells with overwhelming precision.
Some slashes cut through multiple cannonballs at once.
Explosions blossomed throughout the sky like fireworks.
The horizon glowed with endless bursts of fire and smoke.
The combined shockwaves only intensified the turbulence of the sea.
At the forefront of the fleet sailed Oden's ship.
It advanced faster than all the others, acting as the spearhead of the entire formation.
Ordinary artillery posed no threat to a warrior of Oden's caliber.
Kaido understood that perfectly.
The defensive line the Beasts Pirates had constructed was never intended to stop Oden himself.
"I'll go first."
"You lot hold them here."
Kaido stared at Kozuki Oden in the distance.
A smile of anticipation spread across his face.
His body trembled slightly with excitement.
In his eyes, the battlefield seemed to fade away until only Oden remained.
Oden was one of the opponents Kaido had wanted to face for years.
The opportunity had simply never come.
Across the seas, Kozuki Oden was already a legend.
He had sailed aboard both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Roger Pirates. He had earned fame as one of the strongest warriors of his era. He had helped Roger reach Laugh Tale and become the Pirate King. He had returned home and led Wano Country toward opening its borders after centuries of isolation.
Among the figures who had shaped the age, Kozuki Oden's name stood near the very top.
Especially considering Wano Country's influence throughout the New World.
At the same time, Oden could feel an overwhelming presence locking onto him.
A beast.
A monster.
Kaido of the Beasts.
"ROOOAAARRR!"
Kaido raised his head and released a dragon's roar that shook the heavens.
Blue light enveloped his body.
His form rapidly transformed.
Dark clouds gathered overhead.
Lightning flashed wildly across the sky.
It was as though the heavens themselves welcomed the arrival of a divine dragon.
Above the sea, an Azure Dragon over a thousand meters long revealed itself.
Its enormous body twisted through the storm clouds, weaving between thunder and lightning.
"Dragon Breath!"
A crimson-gold flash illuminated the battlefield.
Moments later, a beam of scorching energy dozens of meters wide descended from the heavens.
Its target was Kozuki Oden.
The air trembled violently.
Shockwaves and hurricane-force winds erupted in every direction.
The sea churned wildly beneath the pressure.
Ships rocked uncontrollably.
Yet Oden remained perfectly steady.
Standing atop the deck, he watched the descending Dragon Breath without the slightest trace of fear.
As the backbone of the army, he could not show weakness.
Not even for a moment.
Armament Haki flowed around his body.
He tightened his grip on his two legendary swords.
Ame no Habakiri.
Enma.
The next instant, he shot into the sky like a meteor.
"Oden Two-Sword Style: Paradise Waterfall!"
A dazzling slash erupted.
The descending Dragon Breath split apart instantly.
The slash continued upward, cleaving through the sky itself as it raced toward Kaido.
That was its true target all along.
The heavens parted beneath the attack.
The clouds split open.
Kaido's colossal form was fully revealed.
"Hmph."
Facing the incoming slash, Kaido merely snorted.
Wind and lightning coiled around his dragon claws.
Then he struck downward.
The slash shattered instantly.
For Kaido, this exchange barely qualified as a warm-up.
The true battle had only just begun.
In some ways, the Beasts Pirates possessed advantages beyond simple numbers.
Kaido himself held an advantage over Oden.
He could fly freely.
Oden could not.
This was not a duel.
It was war.
Kaido had no intention of granting fairness.
Victory was all that mattered.
Defeating Kozuki Oden.
Repelling Wano Country.
Protecting everything the Beasts Pirates had spent years building.
That was the only objective.
Even if some considered his methods despicable, Kaido did not care.
He had never pretended to be honorable.
Everything he did served his own interests.
Although Oden split the Dragon Breath, completely neutralizing its effects was impossible.
The sea itself remained in turmoil.
Massive waves crashed across the battlefield.
Navigation became increasingly difficult.
Several ships nearly capsized.
Meanwhile, the Beasts Pirates' cannons never stopped firing.
Their ammunition reserves were more than sufficient.
Back in the Barbarossa Kingdom, entire factories had already entered full wartime production.
At the same time, King and other airborne fighters launched their own assaults.
Using their ability to fly, they struck directly at Wano Country's fleet.
"Hahaha!"
"You want to get close? Dream on!"
Queen swung his braided hair dramatically. Despite his enormous frame, he moved with surprising agility. Standing atop a steel fortress, he gripped a massive heavy machine gun with both hands.
A storm of bullets erupted from the barrel.
The volume of fire far surpassed that of ordinary firearms.
Even without Armament Haki, the sheer destructive output was terrifying.
Using Haki on every bullet would consume absurd amounts of energy.
The loss simply wasn't worth it.
Under Queen's leadership, Beasts Pirates soldiers unleashed relentless barrages from every direction.
Heavy machine guns.
Cannons.
Rocket launchers.
Countless firearms.
The overwhelming firepower showcased the true military strength of the Beasts Pirates.
Their arsenal was no weaker than that of the Marines.
In some areas, it was even superior.
The Marines possessed advanced technology.
What they often lacked was funding.
The Beasts Pirates had both.
In terms of weapons development, they had already reached a level comparable to the Nightfall Pirates.
Other pirate crews could not even begin to compete.
This was the advantage of possessing a powerful kingdom as a foundation.
They could recruit talent.
Fund research.
Gather resources.
Support large-scale manufacturing.
Without anyone noticing, the Beasts Pirates had already grown into a military powerhouse.
Their firepower rivaled that of the Marines.
In some respects, it exceeded it.
Through firepower alone, they had already seized the initiative.
Queen's value as a scientist was also fully on display.
A top-tier scientist backed by unlimited funding was a terrifying existence.
The relentless bombardment prevented Wano Country from closing the distance.
Ships were damaged continuously.
Casualties mounted.
The Beasts Pirates deliberately targeted the vessels themselves.
Once a ship sank, the warriors thrown into the sea became easy prey.
Yet Wano Country quickly demonstrated its own strength.
While Kaido and Oden battled overhead, powerful samurai led by Oden's retainers launched their counterattack.
Leaping high into the air, they sliced apart bullets and cannonballs with ease.
Then they crossed the battlefield and landed directly before the Beasts Pirates' war fortress.
The fortress stood like an iron wall.
Eight-meter-tall steel barriers stretched across the island.
A large open killing field lay before it.
The Beasts Pirates understood perfectly that artillery alone could not stop truly powerful warriors.
As long as they could contain them here, however, that would be enough.
"Break through!"
"Open a path for the samurai behind us!"
Kin'emon raised his flaming sword and shouted toward the imposing fortress.
In just a single month, the Beasts Pirates had constructed this massive defensive structure.
Their mobilization capabilities were astonishing.
In truth, the Beasts Pirates owed part of their current growth to Teach's influence.
The assistance he had provided over the years was invaluable.
To some extent, the favor was comparable to the one Charlotte Linlin had once shown Kaido by giving him the Mythical Zoan Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.
Yet before Kin'emon could advance further, a black blur flashed across the battlefield.
Sharp claws tore through the air.
Kin'emon raised his sword to block.
The impact forced him backward several meters.
Standing before him was a humanoid Tyrannosaurus.
One of the Beasts Pirates' All-Stars.
"Calamity" Lemor.
"Open a path?"
Lemor sneered.
"You should worry about yourself first."
His figure vanished again.
Then he charged directly toward Kin'emon.
Elsewhere, Ashura Doji and the other retainers found themselves intercepted as well.
Queen.
Omen.
Crayel.
The Beasts Pirates' strongest fighters moved forward to block every advance.
At sea, atop a heavily damaged ship, another confrontation unfolded.
A dark figure stood opposite two furious members of the Mink Tribe.
From the very beginning, King had singled them out.
He intended to handle them personally.
"Beasts..."
"We will never forget what you did to Zou."
Nekomamushi's fur stood on end as electricity crackled around his body.
His eyes burned with hatred.
"Today is the day you repay that debt."
Beside him, Inuarashi drew his weapon.
His expression was equally grim.
"Oh?"
King's voice remained cold and indifferent.
"I was there that day."
"I saw the flames."
"I heard the screams."
"If the Mink Tribe hadn't been so stubborn, none of it would have happened."
"You could have handed it over from the beginning."
"In the end, nothing changed."
Those words only fueled their rage further.
"Damn you!"
Nekomamushi roared.
"Go to hell!"
The clash erupted instantly.
The war had truly begun.
King against Inuarashi and Nekomamushi.
General against general.
Commander against commander.
The collision between two of the New World's greatest powers had finally started.